We can never underestimate the power of a smile. Just one smile can exude all confidence in the world. For this reason, if we are scared to flash our pearly whites, the power of self-confidence may be lost.
Fortunately, you do not have to restrain yourself from smiling for much longer! With the help of cosmetic dentistry, subtle changes to wide-scale repairs of your teeth are possible. Procedures employed in cosmetic dentistry include bleaching, bonding, crowns, veneers and reshaping. While cosmetic dental procedures are often deemed as elective procedures, in some circumstances, these procedures may be required to address oral problems such as improving a patient’s bite.
Bleaching
When it comes to cosmetic dental procedures, bleaching remains the most popular and available. The reasons for getting teeth bleached differ – there are some individuals who need to bleach teeth stains which were consequences of dental conditions and there are those who just want to achieve a whiter smile. One sort of dental condition which induces staining of teeth is dental fluorosis. Excessive exposure to fluoride could cause the discoloration of a child’s permanent teeth once they erupt.
At the same time, discoloration could also be due to lifestyle. There are a lot of substances we ingest or inhale that could lead to discolored teeth. Some of these highly pigmented drinks and foods which could change the color of your teeth include wine, tea and coffee. Smoking can also stain teeth. Sometimes, teeth discolorations also happen naturally either as part of a hereditary disease or due to aging.
Common dental discolorations only affect the enamel, or the outer covering of teeth. However, they may seep into the innermost layers of the tooth which could make it more difficult to bleach .
Procedure
Bleaching procedures can be performed two ways – through an in-house, professional procedure or an over-the-counter home whitening kit. If your budget permits you and you’re in a hurry to get your teeth picture-perfect white, an in-office dental whitening procedure is the way to go. The reason why this type of procedure is done only by professionals is due to the hydrogen peroxide levels of the chemicals used are extremely high. On the other hand, over-the-counter home whitening kits are more affordable. They contain lesser amounts of hydrogen peroxide which means that they should be applied more than once over a couple of days in order to see noticeable effects.
